A/N: Hello, sorry it has taken me so long to post another chapter, but I
have been too busy with school papers and work to do much lately. I hope
you enjoy this chapter, it's not as long as some, and it's also the last
chapter of Part IV, I decided I wanted to stop here and not go into the
years we know about through the books.
*~*~*~*
Desclaimer: I don't own HP or anything relevant to it.
*~*~*~*
Chapter 4 ~ A New Life
Harry didn't leave his cupboard for the next couple of days and the Dursleys didn't seem to mind. In fact, they seemed to prefer that he stayed hidden during the time Aunt Marge stayed in Privet Drive.
Harry hid in the darkness of his cupboard. He could hear Dudley chuckling every time he passed by the cupboard and Ripper growling on the other side of the door.
It wasn't that he was scared. He wasn't. He was embarrassed. And he didn't like feeling like a fool, not that anybody would care if he did or not. But his self-esteem was suffering greatly from the incident.
He sighed with relief when he emerged from his cupboard the last day of Aunt Marge's visit. He had listened in silence as the family ate their breakfast. He heard Aunt Marge gushing over Dudley and knew that Dudley had emerged from it with new crisp pounds in his fat hands. He heard Uncle Vernon grunting as he took the luggage to the car. And he listened with relief as Aunt Marge said goodbye to Aunt Petunia. A sense of satisfaction filled his body as he heard the car leave the driveway and silence had fallen over the house once more. He opened the cupboard door with care and peered from one side of the door, ready to close the door quickly just in case. Nobody was around. He smiled, and after stretching his arms and legs he walked quickly to the kitchen.
Aunt Petunia was clearing the table.
"Wash the dishes on the sink, you can finish this." She snapped as she pushed a plate of leftovers to him.
Harry nodded and sat to eat his meager meal in a hurry.
*~*~*~*
The days passed and spring gave way to summer. Harry tried to keep away from his cousin as much as he could, but it wasn't very easy when his friends preferred to spend their free time in the Dursley's House.
Aunt Petunia cooked with excitement when the boys were in the house. She made large meals and allowed the boys to run over the house.
Harry groaned every time he heard Dudley talking to his friends over the phone and making plans for their visit in the afternoons. There was only one thing that was good about the whole situation, and that was the presence of Aunt Petunia. As long as Aunt Petunia was working in the kitchen making the various dishes for the boys, she required Harry to help around the kitchen, and as long as he worked with her, Dudley and his gang could touch him.
For the first time in his life, he was glad to spend so much time with his Aunt Petunia.
July 31st arrived and the Dursleys forgot about Harry's birthday, as usual. Harry lay on his bed, waiting for his aunt and uncle to wake up. He knew that Dudley would make an appearance until later. He couldn't help but make comparisons between himself and his cousin.
Unwillingly, his thoughts turned to his parents. Who were they? What were they like? Those were a few of the questions that Harry asked himself over and over again. They were questions that he had no answers to. His aunt and uncle had never talked about them. The only time he heard them mentioned was when either his Uncle Vernon or Aunt Marge said disparaging things about him or his parents. He never said anything, because he didn't know much of his parents. How could he defend them if he didn't know who they were? Aunt Petunia never said a thing about her sister. Harry had asked about them when he was younger, but his questions were never answered and he was bid to not ask anymore. It was an order that was hard for him to follow.
He finally heard his aunt coming down the stairs. He stretched and opened his cupboard's door.
"Come and watch the food." Aunt Petunia snapped.
Harry nodded and walked quickly to the stove. He could hear his Uncle Vernon coming down the stairs.
He sighed, he wished he could be anywhere but in Privet Drive.
*~*~*~*
Sirius was resting on his pallet. The atmosphere around him was dreary as the darkened halls of the prison gave way to the silent moans and groans of the other inhabitants of the dark cells.
Sirius himself groaned with exasperation. He had been in Azkaban for so long now, he had no idea the exact number of years he had been imprisoned. But it didn't matter. He knew he had to find a way to get out soon. Harry was getting older and he would soon be accepted into Hogwarts. Sirius wanted to be there, he wanted to make sure Peter didn't get to him before anybody else.
But what to do? Azkaban was feared for one reason only, the Dementors. And it was the Dementors that made Azkaban a difficult place to escape from.
But Sirius had a mission. And he planned to see it through. He had promised Lily and James that Harry would be safe. He had promised to be his father when James couldn't be there. Events had made him renege on that promise but he wasn't going to allow Fate to keep him away. Harry needed guidance and he will see that Harry got what he needed. He had spent enough time with the Dursleys as it is. He needed to know about his family and the legacy they left behind.
James and Lily's death would not be in vain.
*~*~*~*
Gryffindor Manor was in a festive mood. The lake was calm and small boats had been tied around the shore. Tents were erected around the lawn and a large racecourse had been cleared surrounding the lake. Banners, flags and multicolored decorations flew in the cool breeze.
People around the village were preparing food and decorations to add to those placed by the tenants and inhabitants of the Manor.
It was a very special day, indeed. It was the annual celebrations of the birthday of their master, Harry Potter.
Mrs. Nichols happily hummed as she and the maids of the Manor took the platters of food that Otty had prepared to the tents in the lawn.
Roberts stood by the kitchen gardens supervising the legion of footmen and house elves preparing the barrels and casks of cider and juice to take to the tents.
Minnie and Lotty had been busy finishing the decorations that were seen throughout every garden and tree in the estate.
By noon, people had congregated around the lawn near the lake. The sweet aromas of the food and drinks permeated the air. The children were playing and people were ready to begin the games.
In the center of the lawn was a small tent. The flaps had been removed from all around it and beneath the cover stood a large chair with presents around it. It had been placed there every year on this same date, to represent the person whom they had come to celebrate.
Music started and laughter could be heard for miles around.
Gryffindor Manor was celebrating hoping that some time soon their master would join them and be part of the celebration.
*~*~*~*
Harry lay on his bed in the darkened cupboard. It had been an uneventful day. But he could help but repeat the birthday wish he had done for the past few years. That the new year was better and he could finally leave and be part of another world different from the one he had grown up in.
Summer was soon over and fall was upon them. Harry and Dudley would return to school for their last year together, by this time the next year, they would both go on their own way. But in the meantime, Harry had to try to keep away from Dudley he wanted to have a more peaceful school year.
By the end of August, Aunt Petunia decided to take them shopping. Dudley needed new materials for school.
Aunt Petunia woke them up very early. They would all go with Uncle Vernon to the city, where they would shop and eat out until they could return at the end of the day with Uncle Vernon.
Dudley grumbled and groaned as he ate, he didn't like waking up early if he didn't have to. Harry didn't mind. He always woke up early. He was just looking forward to spending the day outside of the house.
"Eat everything son, it might be a while before you eat today." Uncle Vernon said as he piled more food on Dudley's plate.
" Hmmm!" Groaned Dudley.
Harry sat on his chair without saying a word. His plate was not as full as Dudley's but he was content just eating and not being picked on by his cousin or his uncle.
"We are leaving in half an hour, you better get ready Dudley if you don't want any more breakfast." Uncle Vernon said as he sipped the last of his coffee.
Dudley nodded and waddled out of the kitchen. Harry sighed and started to pick the empty plates from the table.
"What are you going to do with him?" Harry heard Uncle Vernon ask Aunt Petunia and knew that he was talking about him.
"Have to take him with us. Mrs. Figg is indisposed, she said." Said Aunt Petunia.
Uncle Vernon seemed displeased, but there was nothing for him to do. Harry was never left alone in the house and if Mrs. Figg could care for him, then there was nothing for them to do but take him along. At least, Vernon thought, I don't have to be with him during the day. And he knew that his wife was more than capable to deal with Harry on her own.
Half an hour later, Harry found himself sharing the back seat with Dudley on their way to London. Uncle Vernon was growling and complaining about things, just as he always did. But Harry wasn't paying attention. He looked out the window at the scenery flashing by. It wasn't very often that he went along with the Dursleys on their days out and he planned to enjoy this day as much as he could.
It didn't take long for them to arrive at the outskirts of London. Harry watched raptly as pedestrians and cars tried to make their way around the congested streets toward work.
"I'll drop you off Downtown and I'll pick you up later this afternoon." Uncle Vernon was instructing Aunt Petunia.
Aunt Petunia nodded, she seemed to be excited to be in London and was looking forward to a whole day of shopping.
"Wait for me in the same place I drop you off." Uncle Vernon continued. "If we have the time, maybe we can have dinner before we drive back home."
"Where dad?" Dudley asked with enthusiasm.
Vernon chuckled. "I'll let you choose."
Dudley sat with a smug smile on his face. Harry didn't say anything, he wouldn't mind eating out of the house for a change, and if the only way to do so was to allow Dudley to choose what they would eat, Harry wasn't going to say anything against it.
The car stopped in front of a park. Harry could see young children playing with nannies watching nearby. There were shops and restaurants all around the park. Uncle Vernon had chosen a good spot to drop them off in.
"We'll wait for you dear." Aunt Petunia replied.
"Have a fun day." Uncle Vernon yelled as he pulled away.
"Let's see. Dudley needs new school clothes, new shoes and new materials for school." Aunt Petunia was saying as she grabbed hold of one of Dudley's chubby hands and started to steer them to the clothes stores nearest to them.
Harry hurried after his aunt and cousin, trying to keep up. He couldn't help but try to look at everything around him.
He couldn't remember being in London. He might have been as an infant before his parents died, but as he didn't remember anything from that time, he could say that he had been in London before.
The tall buildings and busy sidewalks grabbed his attention constantly and he almost got separated from his aunt and cousin for not paying attention to where they were going.
They went into every store they could. They bought clothes for Dudley, shoes for Dudley, toys for Dudley, markers, pencils and every kind of school supplies for Dudley. They even bought some dresses for Aunt Petunia before taking a break and eating at a small restaurant they found.
Harry could help but be happy that Mrs. Figg was indisposed and couldn't keep him with her this morning. He looked out the window watching the pedestrians pass by.
He was very surprised when an old, little man stopped in the window in front of him, bowed and waved before continuing on his way. Harry looked around, maybe it was not him whom the old man waved at, maybe there was somebody who knew him behind him. But there was nobody around. Harry couldn't think of a reason why a complete stranger had waved at him.
And then a crazy idea entered his head. Maybe that old man knew who he was, maybe he had known his parents and had recognized him and wanted to say hi. But minutes later he thought better of it. He was just mad to think that somebody who knew his parents would recognize him. He had been too little for anybody to know how he looked now and if there had been friends of his parents alive, they would surely had tried to contact him at any time.
*~*~*~*
"It is time to gather the names for the next year." Professor McGonagall said to Dumbledore one morning.
"Is it indeed? How soon time seems to pass by." Dumbledore smiled at his Deputy Headmistress.
Professor McGonagall seemed a little disconcerted by his reply. Why would he be surprised by her announcement, they this every year since she had become Hogwarts Deputy Headmistress.
"Very well," continued Dumbledore not noticing Professor McGonagall's confusion, "the list needs to be retrieved before the day is over. We must be ready to receive our students tomorrow."
"I will write the letters, as always, and the owls will be ready to be sent starting next week." Professor McGonagall said.
Dumbledore nodded, he knew that he could leave the matter in his Deputy's capable hands. But there was something that was disturbing him. "Harry's name is upon that list, is it not?" He asked rather suddenly.
"Indeed it is." Professor McGonagall said. "He will join us next year."
"There will be some trouble getting him his letter." Professor Dumbledore said.
"With those muggles as his guardians, I will not be surprised." Professor McGonagall agreed.
"Now Minerva, we have talked about this. He is safe with them." Professor Dumbledore replied rather softly.
"I don't see how he can be safer with them than with anybody else. There has not been reason for him to be so isolated. No Death Eaters have tried to get anywhere near that house. It has been almost nine years, perhaps it is time for him to know everything and be taken to the Manor." Professor McGonagall said.
"No, he is too young to understand it all. He must stay put. The time will arrive when he will know everything he needs to know. For now, it is better to keep him in the dark. There is no need for him to know every dark aspect that brought on the death of his parents, he is better off not knowing." Professor Dumbledore replied.
"If you think so." Said Professor McGonagall, but it was very clear by her tone that she didn't agree with him at all.
"When the time comes for you to send that letter, let me know, I'll make sure that he receives it." Said Dumbledore.
Professor McGonagall nodded before leaving the Headmaster's office.
Dumbledore was lost in his own thoughts and didn't notice that his Deputy Headmistress had left his office. The thought of Harry back into the wizard community brought back memories when a young dark-haired James Potter started to get ready to go to Hogwarts.
"You're going to have your hands full, Albus." Aliaster Potter had laughed after the acceptance letter had been received. "And with the Black boy with him, there is going to be trouble."
"You mean Sirius Black?" His wife had asked with confusion.
"Yes, him. James and Sirius have been as thick as thieves since they met." Aliaster had said with a glowing sparkle in his eyes.
"I'm sure that Hogwarts can withstand anything that young Potter and Black could do. Minerva is more than capable to keep them in tight reins." Dumbledore had laughed.
Dumbledore knew that things would be different for Harry. He hadn't had the opportunity to live with a loving family. But he was sure that his father's sense of adventure lived within his heart.
*~*~*~*
A dog was lying on the floor in the cell that belonged to Sirius Black. The usual moans and groans that filled the air were few on this day. The dementors seemed to be on guard, as if waiting for a visit of someone important but the inmates didn't seem to notice any of it.
The dog stirred and sniffed the air. Voices could be heard from far away, and they seemed to be coming nearer.
The dog had disappeared, in its place a large man lay against the wall. He sat and listened as the visitors got closer.
"Weasley, make sure that all of this is included in that report. No use talking about it if it's not written." The voice of the Minister, Mr. Fudge, echoed upon the corridor.
"Yes Sir." Another voice said.
Sirius sat in silence listening and watching the Minister and his entourage pass by his cell. A few of the Minister's companions looked his way, and Sirius smiled rather sinisterly at them. One or two whimpered with fright and walked faster to join the others. The rest just kept their eyes averted from the inmates of the cells.
The maddening laugh of a woman filled the air. The visitors jumped with fright and looked around them rather nervously.
"W-w-who is that?" One of the minister's companions said.
"D-d-don't k-k-know." Another said.
"SHUT IT BELLATRIX! You're scaring our visitors." Sirius yelled at the top of his lungs. He then turned to the Minister's group. "She is not going to bother you, none of them will, they have lost their minds, nothing they can do to you." He said with a mocking tone and then turned back to looking at the wall of his cell and closed his eyes.
"M-m-mental, the whole lot." One of the visitors said.
"Let's get out of here." The Minister ordered, but his voice shook and his face was pale.
He quickly led his entourage out of the corridor. Sirius heard the sound of a heavy door closing at the end of the hall.
He snorted with derision. "They should spend nine years here, see how they like it." He mumbled.
The prison fell silent again. And in Sirius's place, a dog reappeared.
*~*~*~*
Christmas was fast approaching and Harry was recruited to help Aunt Petunia with the shopping. Harry didn't mind at all. It meant a day without Dudley's sneering face even if he had to miss school.
"Hurry up, you! I want to go to the toy store, Duddy has a list of things he wants and I want to get as much as I can." Aunt Petunia ordered as they crossed the street toward a large toy store in Downtown London.
"Yes, Aunt Petunia." Harry mumbled as he tried to balance the boxes and bags that he carried.
He knew what was in each package, and he also knew not to get his hopes up and wish for a gift from the Dursleys. The fact that they had remembered his birthday some months ago didn't mean that they had changed their minds about him. In fact, if he was truthful, he preferred that they forgot his birthday instead of remembering. For when they forgot, he could imagine what he could get as a present, but when they remembered, the only things he was sure to get were insignificant. On his last birthday they had given him a coat hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks. He much preferred the presents he got from his imagination.
They spent the whole morning going in and out of shops. It felt more like a whole day to Harry but when they returned home in a taxi it was only early afternoon and Dudley hadn't returned from school yet.
"Take those things to my room and then come to help with luncheon." Ordered Aunt Petunia just as they walked into the house. Harry was carrying bags and boxes while the taxi driver was pulling more from the trunk of his car.
"All right." Mumbled Harry, even though he was sure that Aunt Petunia could not possibly hear him behind all the boxes.
His vision was rather limited as climbed up the stairs. The boxes rose high above his head and he had to peek from the sides to see where he was going. He sighed with relief as he cleared the stairs, he never thought them dangerous but that had been with arms free; but with boxes, he was rather cautious hoping that he wouldn't lose his balance. There was no way he could save himself if he did.
He walked down the corridor toward his aunt and uncle's room. He inched his way to the door and noticed it closed but rather to his surprise it sprung open. Harry shrugged, maybe Aunt Petunia had forgotten to close it before they left and the wind blew it open. He didn't bother to remember that the windows were usually kept closed and that there was no wind even though it was a rather cold day.
He dumped the boxes on the bed and placed the bags on the floor next to it. He then went back outside and started back up with a new batch of boxes and bags. The taxi had long gone and Aunt Petunia had started to prepare the ingredients for their meal.
Harry was tired, but he didn't dare complain. He knew it wouldn't do any good to do so, he would only be made to do more work.
"What took you so long?" Snapped Aunt Petunia glaring at Harry as he entered the kitchen. "Take those carrots and chop them."
"Yes, Aunt Petunia." He sighed and sat at the table where a cutting board, a knife and a bag of carrots waited for him.
They worked in silence. Harry used his knife with experience. Aunt Petunia stood by the sink, peeling potatoes while watching out the window toward their neighbor's house.
An hour later, the smells of sizzling meats roasting in the oven, sauces and vegetables boiling on the stovetop, and sweets and pastries cooling on the counters waited as Dudley was dropped off from school.
"Duddy darling! How was school?" Exclaimed Aunt Petunia as soon as the front door was closed.
"Fine." Said Dudley with a shrug.
"Just drop your bag in your room and come to eat, sweetums, you need to build up your energy." Aunt Petunia gushed.
Harry heard Dudley banging his way up the stairs while he stirred the sauce warming in a pan.
"Place the plates on the table. Dudley needs his food." Ordered Aunt Petunia.
Harry nodded and grabbed four plates and silverware from a cabinet. By the time Dudley appeared on the kitchen door, Aunt Petunia was filling his plate from platters in the middle of the table.
"Sit here, Duddy dear." Aunt Petunia motioned to the chair closest to her.
Dudley smiled at the sight of his full plate and waddled toward the chair.
Harry took the chair opposite and piled some food on his own plate. Aunt Petunia sat in the chair next to Dudley's and took only a serving of vegetables and ladled sauce over them.
Dudley talked and ate at the same time. His mother smiled indulgently as she listened patiently.
Harry ate in silence. He didn't care to listen to what Dudley had to say, he was only boasting about the bulling he did in school. He knew that he couldn't say anything to Dudley, his parents believed he was the perfect example of a boy his age, they were blind to his imperfections and Dudley could do no wrong in their eyes. And Dudley wanted to keep it that way. He knew that he could get away with anything as long as his parents believed the best of him.
The front door opened and closed again. Uncle Vernon was home for lunch. Sometimes he would join them for their midday meal, most of the time he didn't; but Aunt Petunia always made sure that there was a place set for him and that there was enough food on the table for him.
Harry always thought that Dudley took advantage of this fact and preferred it when his father stayed out for lunch. It meant more food for him, as Aunt Petunia ate very little and Harry wasn't allowed to eat more than was necessary.
Uncle Vernon rubbed his hands as he stepped into the kitchen.
"Smells good." He said taking the remaining empty seat.
Harry smiled at the sight of this cousin's crestfallen face.
Aunt Petunia smiled proudly under her husband's comment.
Harry could hear the voices of the reporters from the midday news, it seemed that Uncle Vernon turned on the TV before coming into the kitchen.
"Great day at the office. I just got a file for a new customer and if I can get that account it would mean those new windows you were wishing for dear." Uncle Vernon announced to his wife.
"Oh Vernon! That would be great." Aunt Petunia exclaimed. She had wanted to redecorate for quite a while, and since she had bought new furniture just last month she had hoped to change the design of the sitting room windows for a more classical style.
Uncle Vernon looked smug at the thought of that new account.
Harry just listened in silence, he knew that it didn't matter if Uncle Vernon got the account or not, it would be of any good to him.
*~*~*~*
Winter passed and gave way to spring. Dudley's birthday was soon coming upon them. A fact that Dudley didn't let anybody forget.
"We are going to the zoo this year." Dudley sneered at Harry one morning. Harry shrugged.
"You're not going of course. Mrs. Figg will take care of you." Dudley continued.
Harry rolled his eyes. Where else would he spend the day?
"I'm going to ask mum if I can take Piers. She'll say yes." Dudley said.
"I'm sure." Mumbled Harry.
Dudley grinned with glee. "And you are going to spend the day playing with cats."
Harry shrugged again.
Dudley didn't seem to like the fact that Harry didn't seem to be rattled by the news that he wasn't going to take part in his birthday celebration.
"You're turning eleven too." Dudley suddenly said.
Harry shrugged. He knew what Dudley was trying to do, but he didn't want to give him the satisfaction of making him show emotion.
Dudley glared at Harry it seemed that no matter what he said Harry didn't care. So he did the best next thing. He shoved Harry.
"Hey!" Harry exclaimed from the floor.
"Serves you right." Said Dudley and walked away.
Harry shook his head. How much stranger could his cousin be?
*~*~*~*
Dumbledore found his Deputy Headmistress waiting in his office one evening. Finals were coming up and soon the school year would be over.
"Hello Minerva, what can I do for you?" He asked with a smile, he was sure that she was about to complain about the Weasley twins' latest prank. They were on their way to breaking the record of complaint owls he had sent to parents that had originally been established by James Potter and Sirius Black.
"I have the updated list of new students." She began. Dumbledore nodded, she always brought him a list of those students who had received their letters and had already sent a return owl. "There is only a handful of names missing, they haven't received their letters yet."
"Very well. I'm sure that you are more than capable of taking care of them." Dumbledore said.
"Of course." Said Professor McGonagall in her unmistakable tone of voice that told Dumbledore that there was no reason to think she could not do her duty. "But you did tell me to let you know when it came time to send young Mr. Potter his letter." She sniffed. She clearly thought that it was an insult to her abilities that the Headmaster thought she could not make sure that Harry Potter received his acceptance letter.
"Ah, yes. Is it that time now? I was sure that there was still time for that." Dumbledore said with a smile.
"You did tell me to let you know a month before I send his letter." She said.
"Yes, of course. Write the letter and the supply list. I'll make sure that he gets it." Dumbledore replied.
Professor McGonagall sighed with displeasure but she knew better than to argue. "As you wish." She said before leaving the Headmaster's office.
Dumbledore smiled and looked out of the window in thought. He knew that his Deputy Headmistress was hurt that he wanted to make sure that Harry received the letter when she had done that for the rest of the students for years. But he also knew that Harry's situation was different than the others. The Dursleys were more than capable of making sure Harry never received his letter, allowing him to remain in ignorance of his real nature and legacy for much longer than necessary. It was enough that they hadn't told him anything about his parents and the real reason for their demise, and he was sure that Harry had never seen the letter that he had left with him on the night when Dumbledore himself had placed Harry on the Dursleys' doorstep.
There was only one person he trusted to do the job.
*~*~*~*
Hagrid sat humming as he stirred a boiling pot on his fireplace. A large dog lay beside him. The night was warm and it was warmer still within the cottage.
A knock on the door cut through the tune that filled the room.
"Comin'!" Called Hagrid as he walked heavily to the door. He smiled at the sight of the person behind the door "Professor Dumbledore, Sir. What I can I do for yer?"
"Hello Hagrid, sorry to disturbing your evening." Dumbledore said as he came into the room.
The dog became alert and sniffed toward the voice of their visitor came. Secure that it was a person he knew and trusted, the dog lay down his head once more and fell asleep.
"Think nothin' o' it Sir. Would yer like a cup o' tea?" Hagrid asked. "I'm boiling water for it."
"Of course Hagrid, I thank you." Said Dumbledore.
Hagrid smiled with pleasure and poured some of water from a jug that had been placed before the fire into a pot. He placed a couple of tea bags inside and walked to the table, placing the pot in the middle of the wooden table. He next walked to a couple of cabinets next to the fireplace and grabbed two mugs.
" 'ere you are, Sir." Hagrid said as he poured some tea into a mug and passed it to Dumbledore.
"Thank you Hagrid." Dumbledore smiled as he reached for the sugar bowl sitting next to the pot.
"Well Sir, what can I do for yer?" Hagrid asked once more as he sipped from his mug.
"I have an important job for you Hagrid." Dumbledore replied.
"Oh, Sir, o' course." Hagird sat up with pride. He would do anything for Dumbledore, he had been the only to stand up for him when he was in trouble and had helped him to stay at Hogwarts.
"I'm going to need you to make sure that Young Harry Potter gets his acceptance letter, I'm sure that there might be trouble getting it to him and you must do everything possible to make sure that he gets it." Dumbledore said.
"Love to do it. Knew that Dursley lot would be trouble." Hagrid said rather angrily.
"Now, Hagrid. They are his family, the only ones he has left. It was best that he grew up outside our world, but now it's time for him to return to us and be part of our world once more." Dumbledore explained.
"I'll do it, Dumbledore, Sir. Make sure that he gets his letter." Hagrid announced.
"Good, knew I could count on you. You must make your preparations, I would not be surprised if it takes you some time to get in contact with him. Take your umbrella with you, I'm sure you're going to need it." Dumbledore said a sparkling light in his eyes.
Hagrid flushed and looked guiltily toward his large, pink umbrella, which stood unobtrusively by the fireplace. He was sure that Dumbledore knew he hid his broken wand within its handle and sometimes tried to do magic.
"Yes Sir." He mumbled.
"Don't worry Hagrid. This time, you must do whatever is necessary to make sure Harry gets his letter. I'm counting on you." Said Dumbledore and after drinking the last of his tea he walked toward the door. "Come to see me after you have made your preparations and are ready to leave. There are somethings I have that you might need if you succeed." He said just before he opened the door and walked out of Hagrid's humble abode.
"Heard that Fang, I've got a mission." Hagrid said with a huge grin.
The pot started to shake and large bubbles hissed. Fang yelped with fright and ran away from the boiling pot.
"Oops." Exclaimed Hagrid and quickly removed the pot from the fire. "Had forgotten about it."
*~*~*~*
Mr. Nikolei sat silently behind his desk. July was soon approaching and the sun shone brilliantly through the windows. It was a warm day and sky was clear, but Mr. Nikolei didn't seem to notice. Piles of papers and folders littered his desktop and he wrote rapidly in a pad making notes and revising papers from the folders in his hand.
"Mr. Nikolei, there someone here to see you." His secretary said after knocking softly on his door and opening it just a bit to see her employer within.
"Who is it? I'm a little busy." Mr. Nikolei said without turning to look at his secretary.
"A Mr. Roberts, Sir. He says that he is here to discuss something about the Potter Estate." The secretary replied. Usually, she would've said to any visitors that Mr. Nikolei was quite busy and wasn't attending anybody without an appointment, but she knew that the Potter Estate was a very important client to Mr. Nikolei and he always attended anybody coming to visit him with that purpose.
"I see. Give me a couple of minutes to clear my desk and show him in." Mr. Nikolei said and with a sigh started to put together the papers and shoved them into the folders around his desk. He had expected someone from the Manor, he was quite sure of the subject they wanted to talk about.
"Yes, Sir." Said the secretary before shutting the door once more.
By the time the door opened again and the young lady led an older, lean man into the office, Mr. Nikolei had cleared his desk and had pulled a new folder that he placed before him. The name Potter was clearly labeled at one side of the folder.
"Sit, Mr. Roberts, sit. Bring us some tea." He ordered to the secretary, who nodded and withdrew from the room.
"Thank you, Mr. Nickolei." Sighed Mr. Roberts as he took a seat before the solicitor's large desk.
"I assume you are here to speak to me about Young Potter." Said Mr. Nickolei.
"Indeed Sir, I am." Roberts said.
The secretary entered once more, a tray with a put and two cups in her hands. The two men remained silent as she served them tea and waited until she had left and shut the door behind her before continuing their conversation.
"As you may know, Master Harry's eleventh birthday is soon arriving." Mr. Roberts said.
"Good God, is he going to be eleven this year? I could've sworn he was much younger." Mr. Nickolei exclaimed and opened his folder and read through the pages until he found the one he was looking for. "Indeed he is. He will attend school this year, is he not?" He asked Roberts who knew much more about Hogwarts than he did.
"Indeed Sir. He will accept his acceptance letter to Hogwarts any day now. And that's why I'm here Sir. I know you have said that he couldn't return to the Manor until he is ready to take charge, but he is about to enter the Wizarding World once more and he will learn more about who he is, we believe Sir, that it's time for Master Harry to visit the Manor." Mr. Roberts said in a hurry, it was obvious that he had practiced his speech before appearing before the Estate's solicitor.
"And I would agree with you Roberts." He said, but quickly continued before Roberts started to make plans about receiving their master at the Manor. "But, it isn't I who will make that decision. It's up to Professor Dumbledore and he has only given me orders to make sure that the key to the vault for Young Potter's school money was sent to him."
"I see. Do you think there is a chance that Dumbledore will bring Master Harry to the Manor anytime soon?" Roberts asked hopefully.
"I cannot say. But according to his latest decisions concerning Young Potter, it doesn't seem likely." Mr. Nickolei look at the Manor's butler with sympathy. He knew that everybody at the Manor wanted to see Young Potter soon, but James Potter had left the guardianship to Professor Dumbledore, and when it came to the decisions pertaining that young man, Dumbledore had the last say. He just hoped that Dumbledore knew what he was doing.
"Very well. I won't take much more of your time then." Roberts sighed rather sadly.
"Any time Roberts, you know you must come and see if the Manor needs anything." Mr. Nickolei shook Mr. Roberts' hand and watched him leave.
*~*~*~*
Mrs. Nichols, the Manor's housekeeper waited patiently in her tiny, clean parlor by the kitchen. She was hoping that this time her brother would bring a different answer than the one he had brought for the last years.
She heard footsteps nearing her parlor. They were strong and determined, she knew it was not one of the servants, and less likely one of the house elves.
There was a knock on her door.
"Come in." She called and watched as the door opened to allow her brother to enter.
In the past ten years, both had grown older. She knew that if Master James and Mistress Lily would return now they wouldn't recognize the two retainers that had worked for so long for the Potter family. Mr. Roberts had been in his mid forties when Master Aliaster had been killed and Master James took his place as master of Gryffindor Manor. He had been in perfect health, robust body and a thick crop of brown hair over his round face. He was now nearing sixty. His brown hair was starting to turn gray and his robust body had become lean. But he could still stand straight and present a stern and forbidding façade to visitors and servants alike. His commanding air had not diminished one bit.
Mrs. Nichols on the other hand had grown a little fatter when her brother had lost weight. She was only a few years younger than her brother but she still retained her dark crop of hair, only a few gray hairs could be seen at her temples. She had always been matronly, but she had certainly gained few pounds since the last time she served the Potters. But her face still retained the friendly and sympathetic look that made servants and tenants alike to bring their problems to her in hope of a shoulder to cry on.
"What did he say?" She asked as soon as Roberts had closed the door behind him.
Roberts sighed as he sat in a chair near his sister. "The same as always, it is Dumbledore's call if he brings Master Harry to the Manor or not. The only thing he could tell me was that Professor Dumbledore has requested the key for Master Harry's vault."
"Oh, dear. How is he going to get all his supplies for school, those people won't know what is what?" Mrs. Nichols exclaimed.
"Dumbledore will take care of it." Roberts said.
"I'm sure he will, but I don't understand why we can't do so." Cried Mrs. Nichols.
"Now, my dear, there is no reason to get excited. We have known that Dumbledore wants to keep Master Harry away from all of this, it's the only way to keep him safe." Roberts had slipped in the seat next to his sister's and tried to console her as he patted her hand.
"How long will it be, Nigel? He is going to be eleven soon and he might not even know about us or the estate." Mrs. Nichols sobbed.
"The time will come, Alice. It won't be long when Master Harry will learn all that he needs to know." Said Roberts.
*~*~*~*
It took Hagrid a few weeks to get his things in order, Dumbledore had said that he would have to stay some time out of Hogwarts to make sure that Harry got his letter.
"This is the key for Harry's vault at Gringotts. Don't lose it." Dumbledore said one evening as he presented the small key to Hagrid.
They were in Hagrid's hut. The night was warm and the stars were shining brightly in the moonless sky.
"Nothin' to worry about. Make sure 'e gets it alright I will." Hagrid said with a smile. He was really excited to have this mission and he was looking forward to it. He took the key from Dumbledore and put it in one of his pockets.
"I trust you will Hagrid. Make sure you don't lose the letter for Gringotts either, that package is very important." Dumbledore warned.
Hagrid nodded gravely. "Know that Professor Dumbledore, Sir, will be careful with it."
"Do you have the letter? Professor McGonagall told me she had given it to you." Dumbledore asked.
"Have it Sir." Hagrid replied.
"Good, she has sent the first letter, he should receive it tomorrow morning. Stay with Arabella and keep an eye on the situation, I know the Dursleys won't allow Harry to read that letter." Dumbledore ordered.
"Very well, Sir." Hagrid responded.
"Remember to be careful, make sure nobody sees you." Dumbledore continued. Hagrid nodded and listened attentively. "But once you get your hands on Harry and take him to Diagon Alley, make sure that he has fun."
"Oh, yes Sir, he will. Look what I made for 'im." Hagrid said excitedly. He took a box from the table. "Made it this afternoon." He opened the box and inside was a chocolate cake with letters made of green icing.
Dumbledore smiled. "I'm sure he will be pleased."
"I'm on my way to the owlry." Hagrid said. "I need to take one with me."
"Of course. Have a good trip Hagrid. I'll see you the first of August." Dumbledore smiled before turning toward the door.
"Yer won't forget to feed Fang, will yer?" Hagrid asked.
"I won't." Dumbledore responded and walked through the open door.
*~*~*~*
The next morning was sunny and warm. Hagrid apparated in Arabella Figg's kitchen early that morning.
"Have been waiting for you, what took you so long." Mrs. Figg exclaimed as she walked into the kitchen after hearing the familiar pop.
"Not used to this, had to have help." Hagrid exclaimed.
"Of course, I'm sorry. Being a squib I don't know how easy or hard it is." Mrs. Figg explained.
Hagrid nodded and placed his umbrella inside his coat's pocket.
"Well, now that you are here you can eat something." Mrs. Figg said as she hurried over to the oven a pulled out some trays. "Had them in here to keep them warm." She explained.
Hagrid nodded and pulled his coat off his shoulders before sitting at the table. He wouldn't say no to a meal, he had left Hogwarts after dinner and hadn't had anything to eat since then.
"He received the letter today." Mrs. Figg reported as soon as Hagrid started to eat. "They took it away before he even got the chance to read it."
Hagrid grunted his displeasure.
"You're not going to barge in there and give him the letter are you? 'Cause I'm telling you, it won't do any good if you do." Mrs. Figg warned.
"But he needs his letter. Dumbledore said to do whatever necessary to get it to 'im." Hagrid exclaimed.
"You barging in on them won't do him any good. Those people are all about appearances. That would only create trouble for him once you are gone. No, let's continue sending the letters. We'll try again tomorrow." Mrs. Figg said.
Hagrid watched her. He wasn't sure if he wanted to do that, it would save them a lot of trouble if he just went to the Dursleys and presented the letter himself to Harry. But he supposed Mrs. Figg knew what she was talking about, maybe she was right and it was better to continue sending the letters until Harry grabbed a hold on one.
*~*~*~*
The next morning they were discussing the same thing over a cup of tea.
"Can't think what they think to do to stop him from getting that letter. Never thought that they would move him to the second bedroom." Mrs. Figg said. "Mr. Tibbles reported that Dursley moved him the minute he returned home from work."
"Hunph! About time they did. What were they thinkin' of puttin' 'im in the cupboard?" Hagrid asked with anger.
Mrs. Figg shrugged. "They're a strange lot."
"I'll send another tomorrow." Said Hagrid.
"Send more than one this time, send three. Let's see what happens." Mrs. Figg said.
*~*~*~*
During the next couple of days Mrs. Figg and Hagrid kept constant surveillance on 4 Privet Drive.
Mrs. Figg chuckled with laughter as Vernon Dursley boarded up the mail slot. She laughed merrily as she watched him board up every crack he could think of.
Hagrid watched amused at the antics of the Dursleys and both were eager to see what he would do next. They were both running out of ideas of how to sneak the letters into the house.
*~*~*~*
Sunday morning, after sending an owl overnight to Hogwarts to ask for more owls, Hagrid released a flock of owls into the sky and watched them circle the houses in Privet Drive before soaring down to one and released their packages.
He rubbed his hands in glee. There would be so many letters flying around that house, that Harry was bound to be able to grab at least one. He didn't count in the Dursleys' adamant hope to keep Harry from learning what was written on those letters.
They were rather surprised to see the Dursley car pull out with luggage and every member of the family inside. The car sped out as if the Devil was behind them.
Hagrid groaned, he never imagined they would run away.
"You're going to have to follow them." Mrs. Figg said as she dragged Hagrid's coat to him. "I suppose." Hagrid sighed.
*~*~*~*
Hagrid was glad that he had taken one of the school brooms. The only problem was that because of his weight the broom was slower than it usually was and couldn't fly very high. Hiding among the clouds was out of the question, he had to rely on back roads and alleys to hide from the muggles. Once they got out of the city it was easier to follow without need to hide very often.
The first night he followed them to a shabby hotel at the outskirts of a big city. He flew to a clearing some miles away and made a tent of his coat and waited for the lights to go off in the city and the hotel.
By the next morning's light Hagrid had sneaked in a mail bag full of letters addressed to
Mr. H. Potter
Room 17
Railview Hotel
Cokeworth
He waited patiently to see what the Dursleys would do and wasn't surprised when he saw the car pull from the garage and leave in the opposite direction it had come from last night.
He had packed his things into his pockets and climbed over the broom ready to follow once more.
He was rather confused to see what Vernon Dursley was doing. He glanced behind a tree when they stopped in the middle of a forest. He hid behind some sacks of grain when they stopped in the middle of a plowed field and he was flying below a suspended bridge when they stopped once more.
Hagrid started to worry that Dursley was losing his mind.
Finally they stopped near the coast and Dursley left the family locked in the car while he went off looking around the place.
Hagrid waited to see what they would do know and was happy to find that they would be staying. By the motions Vernon Dursley did and the place he was pointing to, Hagrid was sure that they would be staying in the decrepit old shack on the rock in the middle of the sea. He looked at the sky and saw the signs for a big storm. He decided to wait until it was dark enough and then he would fly over to the rock.
He saw Harry and the Dursleys pile into a small boat and watched them make their way to the rock.
Hagrid looked around and saw a small store a mile away. He might as well get some sausages and tea bags for his meal, he was sure that Dursley wouldn't have enough food either and Harry might enjoy a late meal as well.
He entered the small store, an old woman stood behind the counter and by the way she tried to peer behind her eyes, it looked like her sight was not as good as it once had been.
"Hello young man." She smiled.
"Afternoon, wanted some sausages and tea bags." Hagrid said.
"Of course, have some right here." Said the woman as she stumbled behind the counter to where a large cooler stood full of meats and dairy products. She grasped around the cooler until she finally felt a bag of sausages. She pulled it and turned back to the counter. "How many do you want?" She asked.
"Umm, give me ten." He said and watched as the lady took a small knife from a drawer and proceeded to cut the string that held the sausages together.
Hagrid looked around the small store. It was no bigger than his cottage, in fact it seemed a little smaller. The walls were full of merchandise, but it seemed like the items were not placed in any order. Thread was mixed with kitchen towels and shovels stood next to umbrellas.
"Here you go." The woman said and put the sausages into a small bag before returning the remaining sausages to the cooler.
"Thankee. Tea bags?" He asked.
"Of course." The woman smiled and pulled a box full of tea bags. "What flavor?"
"Any will do." Hagrid said. He could hear the wind picking up and the sound of the waves hitting the rocks on the coast with great force.
The woman took a small package from the box and passed it to Hagrid. Hagrid paid, looking closely at the muggle money he carried to make sure he paid correctly, not that she would've noticed if he had paid her with wizard money. But it wouldn't be fair if he did that.
He stepped out of the store and looked toward the shack standing over the rock. The wind was getting stronger and he could see the waves crashing violently against the rock. He shivered in the cold air and he could see the dark clouds covering the sky and was sure that at any time now the rain would begin to fall.
He looked around the coast. There didn't seem to be anybody around. The dark clouds had made the day dark and he thought it would probably be best if he prepared to fly over the violent sea to the rock.
His weight made the broom more stable in the fierce wind. But the coming storm made crossing the wild seashore a little difficult.
It took a few hours to cross the sparse piece of sea from the shore to the rock. Night had fallen and Hagrid was sure that midnight was near. The wind was now more vicious than ever and the rain was falling heavily over the land.
Hagrid stepped off the broom, but a gale of wind pulled it from his grasp and he watched as the broom was lost in he storm.
"Figures." He mumbled.
Hagrid looked at the shack standing at the top of the rock. There was no smoke coming from the chimney it seems that Dursley wasn't smart enough to get logs for a warm fire.
"Humph!" He snorted.
He sat at the base of the rock to rest. The rock sheltered him from the storm and he decided to wait a little. He pulled a small pack of biscuits he carried in one of his pockets and ate as he watched the large waves crashing against the rocks nearby.
He lost track of time. The storm was as violent as it had been a few hours ago. "Will yeh look at that?" He exclaimed as he peered at his watch. "Almost midnight."
He started to climb the rock. Lightning and thunder muffled his groans as he made his way to the shack. Finally, he stood in front of the door and knocked.
*~*~*~*
Remus was sitting morosely at a small table in a corner of the Leaky Cauldron. There were a few empty tankards in front of him. It was almost July 31st and he was saddened by the turn of events that had brought him to that place.
Remus had been traveling for quite some time, he felt better when he did so, it made him think of other things instead of remembering his friends and family. His parents had died a few years ago, two of his sisters had immigrated with their families to America during Voldemort's active time, and it didn't seem that they wanted to return anytime soon. One of his sisters was killed in an accident soon after their parents' death. And the remaining sister had immigrated to Japan to work with her husband in a new company. The money that his parents had left him, which had been substantial at the time, was running down. His travels and treatment were taking their toll and soon there would be no more money for him to continue on his search for a cure for what ails him. But it wasn't the thought of it that made Remus sad. It was the memory of the young boy who would soon be celebrating his eleventh birthday.
"He'll be going to Hogwarts this year." He whispered. "Lily would've loved that."
And she would've, he thought. She would have enjoyed taking him to Diagon Alley, to all the shops and James would've looked complacently on and perhaps taking him on his own to look at the brooms and animals and allow him to have whatever Harry had desired.
Remus chuckled and shook his head. He could really picture them so in his mind. If things hadn't happened as they had, he was sure that Harry would've been one of the most spoiled kids in wizardkind. Or perhaps not, he might have had brothers or sisters, and Lily and James were loving parents, but also authoritarian. They had ruled Hogwarts, and later their home according to the values and rules they had been thought to follow, they would've never allowed their son, and heir, to grow up any different than they had, their parents had taught them better than that.
Remus looked around, the room had started to blur but he could still see enough.
"Perhaps you should go to your room, Sir." Said the young girl that was cleaning the tables around him.
"Hmmm.Perhaps you're right." Remus groaned and stood.
The young girl watched the odd man stumble through the room and kept an apprehensive eye on him while he climbed the stairs. It wouldn't do, she thought, if he lost his balance and tumbled down the stairs.
But Remus reached the landing without any accidents and started down the corridor looking for the room he had rented the night before. He had just arrived in England after a few years away, he could've gone to the house his parents had left him, but it had been shut off for so long that he was sure it needed a lot of work to make it habitable once more. Or he could've gone to Griffindor Manor, he knew Mrs. Nichols and Roberts would've welcomed him with open arms, but the thought of watching the tenants and servants of the Manor celebrating Harry's Birthday was not something that would make him happy at the moment. So, he had remained in London and taken rooms at the Leaky Cauldron. Nobody knew he had returned, and most likely, they wouldn't notice for some time.
*~*~*~*
The bright, summer sunlight flooded the room. Remus groaned and turned in his bed trying to keep the bright light from his eyes. He succeeded, but it was too late, he was awake and he knew he could never return to sleep.
He stretched and yawned before leaving the bed. He looked out the window. There was nothing he could see from there that was different from any view in the building, but he could clearly hear the noise of shoppers passing by in both Diagon Alley and the muggle street in front of the pub.
The bathroom was small but adequate for Remus' needs. He showered, and readied himself for the rest of the day. He planned to leave the Leaky Cauldron that afternoon. He was returning home, but first he would go to Diagon Alley and buy various ingredients for what he needed to restore his home.
He was sitting in the table in the corner where he had sat the night before. Remus had returned from doing some early shopping and had returned to the Leaky Cauldron for his meal.
He preferred to sit in the corner, where he could be hidden by shadow and nobody could notice he was there. He liked to look around and watch the other shoppers.
The pub wasn't very busy on this day. Most of the people coming through the Leaky Cauldron didn't stay for long, instead they went through to Diagon Alley as soon as they had arrived to the pub that connected the magical world with the muggle one.
Remus watched as a pair of witches chattered in a corner, they were drinking tiny glasses of cherry as one smoke from a long pipe. A little man sat at the bar talking to Tom, the bartender, as he drank from a large mug in front of him. A pale young man was sitting in a table by the back door looking nervously around, he seemed to be waiting for something. There were a few others, some sitting by themselves others in groups chatting as they ate or drank.
The door suddenly opened and a large man entered the room. Remus looked around and smiled as he saw Hagrid. He lifted his hand ready to wave to him when he noticed a small boy stepping in behind Hagrid's large body. Remus' arm stilled.
"James?" Remus whispered.
"The usual, Hagrid?" Called the bartender as the others in the room smiled and waved to the newcomer. Only Remus stayed in his corner and made no motion to get the attention from others.
"Can't, Tom." Said Hagrid. "I'm on Hogwarts business." He said proudly as he clapped on the boy's shoulder.
"Good Lord!" The bartender exclaimed. "Is this - can this be - ?"
Remus watched as Tom left his bar and rushed to the boy. Remus wasn't paying attention to what he was saying, he only watch the boy look surprised and confused by the attention he was getting.
"Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back." Tom was saying.
"Harry." Whispered Remus.
The whole pub erupted as people scrambled from their seats and surrounded Harry. Only Remus stayed in his seat, not that anybody would've noticed as everybody was focused on Harry.
Remus watched sadly as Harry shook hands and spoke to all who welcomed him to the Leaky Cauldron. People seemed thrilled to meet him and to have shaken his hand. Remus understood why. He himself would've loved to be part of the upheaval. But memories kept intruding and by the time he could take control of them, Hagrid was leading Harry out to Diagon Alley.
*~*~*~*
A/N: There you go, I hope you enjoyed it. As you may have recognized, some things were taken directly from The Sorcerer's Stone. As I stated at the beginning, this is the last chapter for this part of the story, the next part is Harry's Sixth Year at Hogwarts, so that means a lot of new material, and some new experiences for Harry. My readers at HP.com have enjoyed what I have written so far, and I hope you will like it as well. I have the first chapter done, so as soon I have it ready, I'll post it for you. Thank you all for reading, and don't forget to review.
*~*~*~*
Desclaimer: I don't own HP or anything relevant to it.
*~*~*~*
Chapter 4 ~ A New Life
Harry didn't leave his cupboard for the next couple of days and the Dursleys didn't seem to mind. In fact, they seemed to prefer that he stayed hidden during the time Aunt Marge stayed in Privet Drive.
Harry hid in the darkness of his cupboard. He could hear Dudley chuckling every time he passed by the cupboard and Ripper growling on the other side of the door.
It wasn't that he was scared. He wasn't. He was embarrassed. And he didn't like feeling like a fool, not that anybody would care if he did or not. But his self-esteem was suffering greatly from the incident.
He sighed with relief when he emerged from his cupboard the last day of Aunt Marge's visit. He had listened in silence as the family ate their breakfast. He heard Aunt Marge gushing over Dudley and knew that Dudley had emerged from it with new crisp pounds in his fat hands. He heard Uncle Vernon grunting as he took the luggage to the car. And he listened with relief as Aunt Marge said goodbye to Aunt Petunia. A sense of satisfaction filled his body as he heard the car leave the driveway and silence had fallen over the house once more. He opened the cupboard door with care and peered from one side of the door, ready to close the door quickly just in case. Nobody was around. He smiled, and after stretching his arms and legs he walked quickly to the kitchen.
Aunt Petunia was clearing the table.
"Wash the dishes on the sink, you can finish this." She snapped as she pushed a plate of leftovers to him.
Harry nodded and sat to eat his meager meal in a hurry.
*~*~*~*
The days passed and spring gave way to summer. Harry tried to keep away from his cousin as much as he could, but it wasn't very easy when his friends preferred to spend their free time in the Dursley's House.
Aunt Petunia cooked with excitement when the boys were in the house. She made large meals and allowed the boys to run over the house.
Harry groaned every time he heard Dudley talking to his friends over the phone and making plans for their visit in the afternoons. There was only one thing that was good about the whole situation, and that was the presence of Aunt Petunia. As long as Aunt Petunia was working in the kitchen making the various dishes for the boys, she required Harry to help around the kitchen, and as long as he worked with her, Dudley and his gang could touch him.
For the first time in his life, he was glad to spend so much time with his Aunt Petunia.
July 31st arrived and the Dursleys forgot about Harry's birthday, as usual. Harry lay on his bed, waiting for his aunt and uncle to wake up. He knew that Dudley would make an appearance until later. He couldn't help but make comparisons between himself and his cousin.
Unwillingly, his thoughts turned to his parents. Who were they? What were they like? Those were a few of the questions that Harry asked himself over and over again. They were questions that he had no answers to. His aunt and uncle had never talked about them. The only time he heard them mentioned was when either his Uncle Vernon or Aunt Marge said disparaging things about him or his parents. He never said anything, because he didn't know much of his parents. How could he defend them if he didn't know who they were? Aunt Petunia never said a thing about her sister. Harry had asked about them when he was younger, but his questions were never answered and he was bid to not ask anymore. It was an order that was hard for him to follow.
He finally heard his aunt coming down the stairs. He stretched and opened his cupboard's door.
"Come and watch the food." Aunt Petunia snapped.
Harry nodded and walked quickly to the stove. He could hear his Uncle Vernon coming down the stairs.
He sighed, he wished he could be anywhere but in Privet Drive.
*~*~*~*
Sirius was resting on his pallet. The atmosphere around him was dreary as the darkened halls of the prison gave way to the silent moans and groans of the other inhabitants of the dark cells.
Sirius himself groaned with exasperation. He had been in Azkaban for so long now, he had no idea the exact number of years he had been imprisoned. But it didn't matter. He knew he had to find a way to get out soon. Harry was getting older and he would soon be accepted into Hogwarts. Sirius wanted to be there, he wanted to make sure Peter didn't get to him before anybody else.
But what to do? Azkaban was feared for one reason only, the Dementors. And it was the Dementors that made Azkaban a difficult place to escape from.
But Sirius had a mission. And he planned to see it through. He had promised Lily and James that Harry would be safe. He had promised to be his father when James couldn't be there. Events had made him renege on that promise but he wasn't going to allow Fate to keep him away. Harry needed guidance and he will see that Harry got what he needed. He had spent enough time with the Dursleys as it is. He needed to know about his family and the legacy they left behind.
James and Lily's death would not be in vain.
*~*~*~*
Gryffindor Manor was in a festive mood. The lake was calm and small boats had been tied around the shore. Tents were erected around the lawn and a large racecourse had been cleared surrounding the lake. Banners, flags and multicolored decorations flew in the cool breeze.
People around the village were preparing food and decorations to add to those placed by the tenants and inhabitants of the Manor.
It was a very special day, indeed. It was the annual celebrations of the birthday of their master, Harry Potter.
Mrs. Nichols happily hummed as she and the maids of the Manor took the platters of food that Otty had prepared to the tents in the lawn.
Roberts stood by the kitchen gardens supervising the legion of footmen and house elves preparing the barrels and casks of cider and juice to take to the tents.
Minnie and Lotty had been busy finishing the decorations that were seen throughout every garden and tree in the estate.
By noon, people had congregated around the lawn near the lake. The sweet aromas of the food and drinks permeated the air. The children were playing and people were ready to begin the games.
In the center of the lawn was a small tent. The flaps had been removed from all around it and beneath the cover stood a large chair with presents around it. It had been placed there every year on this same date, to represent the person whom they had come to celebrate.
Music started and laughter could be heard for miles around.
Gryffindor Manor was celebrating hoping that some time soon their master would join them and be part of the celebration.
*~*~*~*
Harry lay on his bed in the darkened cupboard. It had been an uneventful day. But he could help but repeat the birthday wish he had done for the past few years. That the new year was better and he could finally leave and be part of another world different from the one he had grown up in.
Summer was soon over and fall was upon them. Harry and Dudley would return to school for their last year together, by this time the next year, they would both go on their own way. But in the meantime, Harry had to try to keep away from Dudley he wanted to have a more peaceful school year.
By the end of August, Aunt Petunia decided to take them shopping. Dudley needed new materials for school.
Aunt Petunia woke them up very early. They would all go with Uncle Vernon to the city, where they would shop and eat out until they could return at the end of the day with Uncle Vernon.
Dudley grumbled and groaned as he ate, he didn't like waking up early if he didn't have to. Harry didn't mind. He always woke up early. He was just looking forward to spending the day outside of the house.
"Eat everything son, it might be a while before you eat today." Uncle Vernon said as he piled more food on Dudley's plate.
" Hmmm!" Groaned Dudley.
Harry sat on his chair without saying a word. His plate was not as full as Dudley's but he was content just eating and not being picked on by his cousin or his uncle.
"We are leaving in half an hour, you better get ready Dudley if you don't want any more breakfast." Uncle Vernon said as he sipped the last of his coffee.
Dudley nodded and waddled out of the kitchen. Harry sighed and started to pick the empty plates from the table.
"What are you going to do with him?" Harry heard Uncle Vernon ask Aunt Petunia and knew that he was talking about him.
"Have to take him with us. Mrs. Figg is indisposed, she said." Said Aunt Petunia.
Uncle Vernon seemed displeased, but there was nothing for him to do. Harry was never left alone in the house and if Mrs. Figg could care for him, then there was nothing for them to do but take him along. At least, Vernon thought, I don't have to be with him during the day. And he knew that his wife was more than capable to deal with Harry on her own.
Half an hour later, Harry found himself sharing the back seat with Dudley on their way to London. Uncle Vernon was growling and complaining about things, just as he always did. But Harry wasn't paying attention. He looked out the window at the scenery flashing by. It wasn't very often that he went along with the Dursleys on their days out and he planned to enjoy this day as much as he could.
It didn't take long for them to arrive at the outskirts of London. Harry watched raptly as pedestrians and cars tried to make their way around the congested streets toward work.
"I'll drop you off Downtown and I'll pick you up later this afternoon." Uncle Vernon was instructing Aunt Petunia.
Aunt Petunia nodded, she seemed to be excited to be in London and was looking forward to a whole day of shopping.
"Wait for me in the same place I drop you off." Uncle Vernon continued. "If we have the time, maybe we can have dinner before we drive back home."
"Where dad?" Dudley asked with enthusiasm.
Vernon chuckled. "I'll let you choose."
Dudley sat with a smug smile on his face. Harry didn't say anything, he wouldn't mind eating out of the house for a change, and if the only way to do so was to allow Dudley to choose what they would eat, Harry wasn't going to say anything against it.
The car stopped in front of a park. Harry could see young children playing with nannies watching nearby. There were shops and restaurants all around the park. Uncle Vernon had chosen a good spot to drop them off in.
"We'll wait for you dear." Aunt Petunia replied.
"Have a fun day." Uncle Vernon yelled as he pulled away.
"Let's see. Dudley needs new school clothes, new shoes and new materials for school." Aunt Petunia was saying as she grabbed hold of one of Dudley's chubby hands and started to steer them to the clothes stores nearest to them.
Harry hurried after his aunt and cousin, trying to keep up. He couldn't help but try to look at everything around him.
He couldn't remember being in London. He might have been as an infant before his parents died, but as he didn't remember anything from that time, he could say that he had been in London before.
The tall buildings and busy sidewalks grabbed his attention constantly and he almost got separated from his aunt and cousin for not paying attention to where they were going.
They went into every store they could. They bought clothes for Dudley, shoes for Dudley, toys for Dudley, markers, pencils and every kind of school supplies for Dudley. They even bought some dresses for Aunt Petunia before taking a break and eating at a small restaurant they found.
Harry could help but be happy that Mrs. Figg was indisposed and couldn't keep him with her this morning. He looked out the window watching the pedestrians pass by.
He was very surprised when an old, little man stopped in the window in front of him, bowed and waved before continuing on his way. Harry looked around, maybe it was not him whom the old man waved at, maybe there was somebody who knew him behind him. But there was nobody around. Harry couldn't think of a reason why a complete stranger had waved at him.
And then a crazy idea entered his head. Maybe that old man knew who he was, maybe he had known his parents and had recognized him and wanted to say hi. But minutes later he thought better of it. He was just mad to think that somebody who knew his parents would recognize him. He had been too little for anybody to know how he looked now and if there had been friends of his parents alive, they would surely had tried to contact him at any time.
*~*~*~*
"It is time to gather the names for the next year." Professor McGonagall said to Dumbledore one morning.
"Is it indeed? How soon time seems to pass by." Dumbledore smiled at his Deputy Headmistress.
Professor McGonagall seemed a little disconcerted by his reply. Why would he be surprised by her announcement, they this every year since she had become Hogwarts Deputy Headmistress.
"Very well," continued Dumbledore not noticing Professor McGonagall's confusion, "the list needs to be retrieved before the day is over. We must be ready to receive our students tomorrow."
"I will write the letters, as always, and the owls will be ready to be sent starting next week." Professor McGonagall said.
Dumbledore nodded, he knew that he could leave the matter in his Deputy's capable hands. But there was something that was disturbing him. "Harry's name is upon that list, is it not?" He asked rather suddenly.
"Indeed it is." Professor McGonagall said. "He will join us next year."
"There will be some trouble getting him his letter." Professor Dumbledore said.
"With those muggles as his guardians, I will not be surprised." Professor McGonagall agreed.
"Now Minerva, we have talked about this. He is safe with them." Professor Dumbledore replied rather softly.
"I don't see how he can be safer with them than with anybody else. There has not been reason for him to be so isolated. No Death Eaters have tried to get anywhere near that house. It has been almost nine years, perhaps it is time for him to know everything and be taken to the Manor." Professor McGonagall said.
"No, he is too young to understand it all. He must stay put. The time will arrive when he will know everything he needs to know. For now, it is better to keep him in the dark. There is no need for him to know every dark aspect that brought on the death of his parents, he is better off not knowing." Professor Dumbledore replied.
"If you think so." Said Professor McGonagall, but it was very clear by her tone that she didn't agree with him at all.
"When the time comes for you to send that letter, let me know, I'll make sure that he receives it." Said Dumbledore.
Professor McGonagall nodded before leaving the Headmaster's office.
Dumbledore was lost in his own thoughts and didn't notice that his Deputy Headmistress had left his office. The thought of Harry back into the wizard community brought back memories when a young dark-haired James Potter started to get ready to go to Hogwarts.
"You're going to have your hands full, Albus." Aliaster Potter had laughed after the acceptance letter had been received. "And with the Black boy with him, there is going to be trouble."
"You mean Sirius Black?" His wife had asked with confusion.
"Yes, him. James and Sirius have been as thick as thieves since they met." Aliaster had said with a glowing sparkle in his eyes.
"I'm sure that Hogwarts can withstand anything that young Potter and Black could do. Minerva is more than capable to keep them in tight reins." Dumbledore had laughed.
Dumbledore knew that things would be different for Harry. He hadn't had the opportunity to live with a loving family. But he was sure that his father's sense of adventure lived within his heart.
*~*~*~*
A dog was lying on the floor in the cell that belonged to Sirius Black. The usual moans and groans that filled the air were few on this day. The dementors seemed to be on guard, as if waiting for a visit of someone important but the inmates didn't seem to notice any of it.
The dog stirred and sniffed the air. Voices could be heard from far away, and they seemed to be coming nearer.
The dog had disappeared, in its place a large man lay against the wall. He sat and listened as the visitors got closer.
"Weasley, make sure that all of this is included in that report. No use talking about it if it's not written." The voice of the Minister, Mr. Fudge, echoed upon the corridor.
"Yes Sir." Another voice said.
Sirius sat in silence listening and watching the Minister and his entourage pass by his cell. A few of the Minister's companions looked his way, and Sirius smiled rather sinisterly at them. One or two whimpered with fright and walked faster to join the others. The rest just kept their eyes averted from the inmates of the cells.
The maddening laugh of a woman filled the air. The visitors jumped with fright and looked around them rather nervously.
"W-w-who is that?" One of the minister's companions said.
"D-d-don't k-k-know." Another said.
"SHUT IT BELLATRIX! You're scaring our visitors." Sirius yelled at the top of his lungs. He then turned to the Minister's group. "She is not going to bother you, none of them will, they have lost their minds, nothing they can do to you." He said with a mocking tone and then turned back to looking at the wall of his cell and closed his eyes.
"M-m-mental, the whole lot." One of the visitors said.
"Let's get out of here." The Minister ordered, but his voice shook and his face was pale.
He quickly led his entourage out of the corridor. Sirius heard the sound of a heavy door closing at the end of the hall.
He snorted with derision. "They should spend nine years here, see how they like it." He mumbled.
The prison fell silent again. And in Sirius's place, a dog reappeared.
*~*~*~*
Christmas was fast approaching and Harry was recruited to help Aunt Petunia with the shopping. Harry didn't mind at all. It meant a day without Dudley's sneering face even if he had to miss school.
"Hurry up, you! I want to go to the toy store, Duddy has a list of things he wants and I want to get as much as I can." Aunt Petunia ordered as they crossed the street toward a large toy store in Downtown London.
"Yes, Aunt Petunia." Harry mumbled as he tried to balance the boxes and bags that he carried.
He knew what was in each package, and he also knew not to get his hopes up and wish for a gift from the Dursleys. The fact that they had remembered his birthday some months ago didn't mean that they had changed their minds about him. In fact, if he was truthful, he preferred that they forgot his birthday instead of remembering. For when they forgot, he could imagine what he could get as a present, but when they remembered, the only things he was sure to get were insignificant. On his last birthday they had given him a coat hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks. He much preferred the presents he got from his imagination.
They spent the whole morning going in and out of shops. It felt more like a whole day to Harry but when they returned home in a taxi it was only early afternoon and Dudley hadn't returned from school yet.
"Take those things to my room and then come to help with luncheon." Ordered Aunt Petunia just as they walked into the house. Harry was carrying bags and boxes while the taxi driver was pulling more from the trunk of his car.
"All right." Mumbled Harry, even though he was sure that Aunt Petunia could not possibly hear him behind all the boxes.
His vision was rather limited as climbed up the stairs. The boxes rose high above his head and he had to peek from the sides to see where he was going. He sighed with relief as he cleared the stairs, he never thought them dangerous but that had been with arms free; but with boxes, he was rather cautious hoping that he wouldn't lose his balance. There was no way he could save himself if he did.
He walked down the corridor toward his aunt and uncle's room. He inched his way to the door and noticed it closed but rather to his surprise it sprung open. Harry shrugged, maybe Aunt Petunia had forgotten to close it before they left and the wind blew it open. He didn't bother to remember that the windows were usually kept closed and that there was no wind even though it was a rather cold day.
He dumped the boxes on the bed and placed the bags on the floor next to it. He then went back outside and started back up with a new batch of boxes and bags. The taxi had long gone and Aunt Petunia had started to prepare the ingredients for their meal.
Harry was tired, but he didn't dare complain. He knew it wouldn't do any good to do so, he would only be made to do more work.
"What took you so long?" Snapped Aunt Petunia glaring at Harry as he entered the kitchen. "Take those carrots and chop them."
"Yes, Aunt Petunia." He sighed and sat at the table where a cutting board, a knife and a bag of carrots waited for him.
They worked in silence. Harry used his knife with experience. Aunt Petunia stood by the sink, peeling potatoes while watching out the window toward their neighbor's house.
An hour later, the smells of sizzling meats roasting in the oven, sauces and vegetables boiling on the stovetop, and sweets and pastries cooling on the counters waited as Dudley was dropped off from school.
"Duddy darling! How was school?" Exclaimed Aunt Petunia as soon as the front door was closed.
"Fine." Said Dudley with a shrug.
"Just drop your bag in your room and come to eat, sweetums, you need to build up your energy." Aunt Petunia gushed.
Harry heard Dudley banging his way up the stairs while he stirred the sauce warming in a pan.
"Place the plates on the table. Dudley needs his food." Ordered Aunt Petunia.
Harry nodded and grabbed four plates and silverware from a cabinet. By the time Dudley appeared on the kitchen door, Aunt Petunia was filling his plate from platters in the middle of the table.
"Sit here, Duddy dear." Aunt Petunia motioned to the chair closest to her.
Dudley smiled at the sight of his full plate and waddled toward the chair.
Harry took the chair opposite and piled some food on his own plate. Aunt Petunia sat in the chair next to Dudley's and took only a serving of vegetables and ladled sauce over them.
Dudley talked and ate at the same time. His mother smiled indulgently as she listened patiently.
Harry ate in silence. He didn't care to listen to what Dudley had to say, he was only boasting about the bulling he did in school. He knew that he couldn't say anything to Dudley, his parents believed he was the perfect example of a boy his age, they were blind to his imperfections and Dudley could do no wrong in their eyes. And Dudley wanted to keep it that way. He knew that he could get away with anything as long as his parents believed the best of him.
The front door opened and closed again. Uncle Vernon was home for lunch. Sometimes he would join them for their midday meal, most of the time he didn't; but Aunt Petunia always made sure that there was a place set for him and that there was enough food on the table for him.
Harry always thought that Dudley took advantage of this fact and preferred it when his father stayed out for lunch. It meant more food for him, as Aunt Petunia ate very little and Harry wasn't allowed to eat more than was necessary.
Uncle Vernon rubbed his hands as he stepped into the kitchen.
"Smells good." He said taking the remaining empty seat.
Harry smiled at the sight of this cousin's crestfallen face.
Aunt Petunia smiled proudly under her husband's comment.
Harry could hear the voices of the reporters from the midday news, it seemed that Uncle Vernon turned on the TV before coming into the kitchen.
"Great day at the office. I just got a file for a new customer and if I can get that account it would mean those new windows you were wishing for dear." Uncle Vernon announced to his wife.
"Oh Vernon! That would be great." Aunt Petunia exclaimed. She had wanted to redecorate for quite a while, and since she had bought new furniture just last month she had hoped to change the design of the sitting room windows for a more classical style.
Uncle Vernon looked smug at the thought of that new account.
Harry just listened in silence, he knew that it didn't matter if Uncle Vernon got the account or not, it would be of any good to him.
*~*~*~*
Winter passed and gave way to spring. Dudley's birthday was soon coming upon them. A fact that Dudley didn't let anybody forget.
"We are going to the zoo this year." Dudley sneered at Harry one morning. Harry shrugged.
"You're not going of course. Mrs. Figg will take care of you." Dudley continued.
Harry rolled his eyes. Where else would he spend the day?
"I'm going to ask mum if I can take Piers. She'll say yes." Dudley said.
"I'm sure." Mumbled Harry.
Dudley grinned with glee. "And you are going to spend the day playing with cats."
Harry shrugged again.
Dudley didn't seem to like the fact that Harry didn't seem to be rattled by the news that he wasn't going to take part in his birthday celebration.
"You're turning eleven too." Dudley suddenly said.
Harry shrugged. He knew what Dudley was trying to do, but he didn't want to give him the satisfaction of making him show emotion.
Dudley glared at Harry it seemed that no matter what he said Harry didn't care. So he did the best next thing. He shoved Harry.
"Hey!" Harry exclaimed from the floor.
"Serves you right." Said Dudley and walked away.
Harry shook his head. How much stranger could his cousin be?
*~*~*~*
Dumbledore found his Deputy Headmistress waiting in his office one evening. Finals were coming up and soon the school year would be over.
"Hello Minerva, what can I do for you?" He asked with a smile, he was sure that she was about to complain about the Weasley twins' latest prank. They were on their way to breaking the record of complaint owls he had sent to parents that had originally been established by James Potter and Sirius Black.
"I have the updated list of new students." She began. Dumbledore nodded, she always brought him a list of those students who had received their letters and had already sent a return owl. "There is only a handful of names missing, they haven't received their letters yet."
"Very well. I'm sure that you are more than capable of taking care of them." Dumbledore said.
"Of course." Said Professor McGonagall in her unmistakable tone of voice that told Dumbledore that there was no reason to think she could not do her duty. "But you did tell me to let you know when it came time to send young Mr. Potter his letter." She sniffed. She clearly thought that it was an insult to her abilities that the Headmaster thought she could not make sure that Harry Potter received his acceptance letter.
"Ah, yes. Is it that time now? I was sure that there was still time for that." Dumbledore said with a smile.
"You did tell me to let you know a month before I send his letter." She said.
"Yes, of course. Write the letter and the supply list. I'll make sure that he gets it." Dumbledore replied.
Professor McGonagall sighed with displeasure but she knew better than to argue. "As you wish." She said before leaving the Headmaster's office.
Dumbledore smiled and looked out of the window in thought. He knew that his Deputy Headmistress was hurt that he wanted to make sure that Harry received the letter when she had done that for the rest of the students for years. But he also knew that Harry's situation was different than the others. The Dursleys were more than capable of making sure Harry never received his letter, allowing him to remain in ignorance of his real nature and legacy for much longer than necessary. It was enough that they hadn't told him anything about his parents and the real reason for their demise, and he was sure that Harry had never seen the letter that he had left with him on the night when Dumbledore himself had placed Harry on the Dursleys' doorstep.
There was only one person he trusted to do the job.
*~*~*~*
Hagrid sat humming as he stirred a boiling pot on his fireplace. A large dog lay beside him. The night was warm and it was warmer still within the cottage.
A knock on the door cut through the tune that filled the room.
"Comin'!" Called Hagrid as he walked heavily to the door. He smiled at the sight of the person behind the door "Professor Dumbledore, Sir. What I can I do for yer?"
"Hello Hagrid, sorry to disturbing your evening." Dumbledore said as he came into the room.
The dog became alert and sniffed toward the voice of their visitor came. Secure that it was a person he knew and trusted, the dog lay down his head once more and fell asleep.
"Think nothin' o' it Sir. Would yer like a cup o' tea?" Hagrid asked. "I'm boiling water for it."
"Of course Hagrid, I thank you." Said Dumbledore.
Hagrid smiled with pleasure and poured some of water from a jug that had been placed before the fire into a pot. He placed a couple of tea bags inside and walked to the table, placing the pot in the middle of the wooden table. He next walked to a couple of cabinets next to the fireplace and grabbed two mugs.
" 'ere you are, Sir." Hagrid said as he poured some tea into a mug and passed it to Dumbledore.
"Thank you Hagrid." Dumbledore smiled as he reached for the sugar bowl sitting next to the pot.
"Well Sir, what can I do for yer?" Hagrid asked once more as he sipped from his mug.
"I have an important job for you Hagrid." Dumbledore replied.
"Oh, Sir, o' course." Hagird sat up with pride. He would do anything for Dumbledore, he had been the only to stand up for him when he was in trouble and had helped him to stay at Hogwarts.
"I'm going to need you to make sure that Young Harry Potter gets his acceptance letter, I'm sure that there might be trouble getting it to him and you must do everything possible to make sure that he gets it." Dumbledore said.
"Love to do it. Knew that Dursley lot would be trouble." Hagrid said rather angrily.
"Now, Hagrid. They are his family, the only ones he has left. It was best that he grew up outside our world, but now it's time for him to return to us and be part of our world once more." Dumbledore explained.
"I'll do it, Dumbledore, Sir. Make sure that he gets his letter." Hagrid announced.
"Good, knew I could count on you. You must make your preparations, I would not be surprised if it takes you some time to get in contact with him. Take your umbrella with you, I'm sure you're going to need it." Dumbledore said a sparkling light in his eyes.
Hagrid flushed and looked guiltily toward his large, pink umbrella, which stood unobtrusively by the fireplace. He was sure that Dumbledore knew he hid his broken wand within its handle and sometimes tried to do magic.
"Yes Sir." He mumbled.
"Don't worry Hagrid. This time, you must do whatever is necessary to make sure Harry gets his letter. I'm counting on you." Said Dumbledore and after drinking the last of his tea he walked toward the door. "Come to see me after you have made your preparations and are ready to leave. There are somethings I have that you might need if you succeed." He said just before he opened the door and walked out of Hagrid's humble abode.
"Heard that Fang, I've got a mission." Hagrid said with a huge grin.
The pot started to shake and large bubbles hissed. Fang yelped with fright and ran away from the boiling pot.
"Oops." Exclaimed Hagrid and quickly removed the pot from the fire. "Had forgotten about it."
*~*~*~*
Mr. Nikolei sat silently behind his desk. July was soon approaching and the sun shone brilliantly through the windows. It was a warm day and sky was clear, but Mr. Nikolei didn't seem to notice. Piles of papers and folders littered his desktop and he wrote rapidly in a pad making notes and revising papers from the folders in his hand.
"Mr. Nikolei, there someone here to see you." His secretary said after knocking softly on his door and opening it just a bit to see her employer within.
"Who is it? I'm a little busy." Mr. Nikolei said without turning to look at his secretary.
"A Mr. Roberts, Sir. He says that he is here to discuss something about the Potter Estate." The secretary replied. Usually, she would've said to any visitors that Mr. Nikolei was quite busy and wasn't attending anybody without an appointment, but she knew that the Potter Estate was a very important client to Mr. Nikolei and he always attended anybody coming to visit him with that purpose.
"I see. Give me a couple of minutes to clear my desk and show him in." Mr. Nikolei said and with a sigh started to put together the papers and shoved them into the folders around his desk. He had expected someone from the Manor, he was quite sure of the subject they wanted to talk about.
"Yes, Sir." Said the secretary before shutting the door once more.
By the time the door opened again and the young lady led an older, lean man into the office, Mr. Nikolei had cleared his desk and had pulled a new folder that he placed before him. The name Potter was clearly labeled at one side of the folder.
"Sit, Mr. Roberts, sit. Bring us some tea." He ordered to the secretary, who nodded and withdrew from the room.
"Thank you, Mr. Nickolei." Sighed Mr. Roberts as he took a seat before the solicitor's large desk.
"I assume you are here to speak to me about Young Potter." Said Mr. Nickolei.
"Indeed Sir, I am." Roberts said.
The secretary entered once more, a tray with a put and two cups in her hands. The two men remained silent as she served them tea and waited until she had left and shut the door behind her before continuing their conversation.
"As you may know, Master Harry's eleventh birthday is soon arriving." Mr. Roberts said.
"Good God, is he going to be eleven this year? I could've sworn he was much younger." Mr. Nickolei exclaimed and opened his folder and read through the pages until he found the one he was looking for. "Indeed he is. He will attend school this year, is he not?" He asked Roberts who knew much more about Hogwarts than he did.
"Indeed Sir. He will accept his acceptance letter to Hogwarts any day now. And that's why I'm here Sir. I know you have said that he couldn't return to the Manor until he is ready to take charge, but he is about to enter the Wizarding World once more and he will learn more about who he is, we believe Sir, that it's time for Master Harry to visit the Manor." Mr. Roberts said in a hurry, it was obvious that he had practiced his speech before appearing before the Estate's solicitor.
"And I would agree with you Roberts." He said, but quickly continued before Roberts started to make plans about receiving their master at the Manor. "But, it isn't I who will make that decision. It's up to Professor Dumbledore and he has only given me orders to make sure that the key to the vault for Young Potter's school money was sent to him."
"I see. Do you think there is a chance that Dumbledore will bring Master Harry to the Manor anytime soon?" Roberts asked hopefully.
"I cannot say. But according to his latest decisions concerning Young Potter, it doesn't seem likely." Mr. Nickolei look at the Manor's butler with sympathy. He knew that everybody at the Manor wanted to see Young Potter soon, but James Potter had left the guardianship to Professor Dumbledore, and when it came to the decisions pertaining that young man, Dumbledore had the last say. He just hoped that Dumbledore knew what he was doing.
"Very well. I won't take much more of your time then." Roberts sighed rather sadly.
"Any time Roberts, you know you must come and see if the Manor needs anything." Mr. Nickolei shook Mr. Roberts' hand and watched him leave.
*~*~*~*
Mrs. Nichols, the Manor's housekeeper waited patiently in her tiny, clean parlor by the kitchen. She was hoping that this time her brother would bring a different answer than the one he had brought for the last years.
She heard footsteps nearing her parlor. They were strong and determined, she knew it was not one of the servants, and less likely one of the house elves.
There was a knock on her door.
"Come in." She called and watched as the door opened to allow her brother to enter.
In the past ten years, both had grown older. She knew that if Master James and Mistress Lily would return now they wouldn't recognize the two retainers that had worked for so long for the Potter family. Mr. Roberts had been in his mid forties when Master Aliaster had been killed and Master James took his place as master of Gryffindor Manor. He had been in perfect health, robust body and a thick crop of brown hair over his round face. He was now nearing sixty. His brown hair was starting to turn gray and his robust body had become lean. But he could still stand straight and present a stern and forbidding façade to visitors and servants alike. His commanding air had not diminished one bit.
Mrs. Nichols on the other hand had grown a little fatter when her brother had lost weight. She was only a few years younger than her brother but she still retained her dark crop of hair, only a few gray hairs could be seen at her temples. She had always been matronly, but she had certainly gained few pounds since the last time she served the Potters. But her face still retained the friendly and sympathetic look that made servants and tenants alike to bring their problems to her in hope of a shoulder to cry on.
"What did he say?" She asked as soon as Roberts had closed the door behind him.
Roberts sighed as he sat in a chair near his sister. "The same as always, it is Dumbledore's call if he brings Master Harry to the Manor or not. The only thing he could tell me was that Professor Dumbledore has requested the key for Master Harry's vault."
"Oh, dear. How is he going to get all his supplies for school, those people won't know what is what?" Mrs. Nichols exclaimed.
"Dumbledore will take care of it." Roberts said.
"I'm sure he will, but I don't understand why we can't do so." Cried Mrs. Nichols.
"Now, my dear, there is no reason to get excited. We have known that Dumbledore wants to keep Master Harry away from all of this, it's the only way to keep him safe." Roberts had slipped in the seat next to his sister's and tried to console her as he patted her hand.
"How long will it be, Nigel? He is going to be eleven soon and he might not even know about us or the estate." Mrs. Nichols sobbed.
"The time will come, Alice. It won't be long when Master Harry will learn all that he needs to know." Said Roberts.
*~*~*~*
It took Hagrid a few weeks to get his things in order, Dumbledore had said that he would have to stay some time out of Hogwarts to make sure that Harry got his letter.
"This is the key for Harry's vault at Gringotts. Don't lose it." Dumbledore said one evening as he presented the small key to Hagrid.
They were in Hagrid's hut. The night was warm and the stars were shining brightly in the moonless sky.
"Nothin' to worry about. Make sure 'e gets it alright I will." Hagrid said with a smile. He was really excited to have this mission and he was looking forward to it. He took the key from Dumbledore and put it in one of his pockets.
"I trust you will Hagrid. Make sure you don't lose the letter for Gringotts either, that package is very important." Dumbledore warned.
Hagrid nodded gravely. "Know that Professor Dumbledore, Sir, will be careful with it."
"Do you have the letter? Professor McGonagall told me she had given it to you." Dumbledore asked.
"Have it Sir." Hagrid replied.
"Good, she has sent the first letter, he should receive it tomorrow morning. Stay with Arabella and keep an eye on the situation, I know the Dursleys won't allow Harry to read that letter." Dumbledore ordered.
"Very well, Sir." Hagrid responded.
"Remember to be careful, make sure nobody sees you." Dumbledore continued. Hagrid nodded and listened attentively. "But once you get your hands on Harry and take him to Diagon Alley, make sure that he has fun."
"Oh, yes Sir, he will. Look what I made for 'im." Hagrid said excitedly. He took a box from the table. "Made it this afternoon." He opened the box and inside was a chocolate cake with letters made of green icing.
Dumbledore smiled. "I'm sure he will be pleased."
"I'm on my way to the owlry." Hagrid said. "I need to take one with me."
"Of course. Have a good trip Hagrid. I'll see you the first of August." Dumbledore smiled before turning toward the door.
"Yer won't forget to feed Fang, will yer?" Hagrid asked.
"I won't." Dumbledore responded and walked through the open door.
*~*~*~*
The next morning was sunny and warm. Hagrid apparated in Arabella Figg's kitchen early that morning.
"Have been waiting for you, what took you so long." Mrs. Figg exclaimed as she walked into the kitchen after hearing the familiar pop.
"Not used to this, had to have help." Hagrid exclaimed.
"Of course, I'm sorry. Being a squib I don't know how easy or hard it is." Mrs. Figg explained.
Hagrid nodded and placed his umbrella inside his coat's pocket.
"Well, now that you are here you can eat something." Mrs. Figg said as she hurried over to the oven a pulled out some trays. "Had them in here to keep them warm." She explained.
Hagrid nodded and pulled his coat off his shoulders before sitting at the table. He wouldn't say no to a meal, he had left Hogwarts after dinner and hadn't had anything to eat since then.
"He received the letter today." Mrs. Figg reported as soon as Hagrid started to eat. "They took it away before he even got the chance to read it."
Hagrid grunted his displeasure.
"You're not going to barge in there and give him the letter are you? 'Cause I'm telling you, it won't do any good if you do." Mrs. Figg warned.
"But he needs his letter. Dumbledore said to do whatever necessary to get it to 'im." Hagrid exclaimed.
"You barging in on them won't do him any good. Those people are all about appearances. That would only create trouble for him once you are gone. No, let's continue sending the letters. We'll try again tomorrow." Mrs. Figg said.
Hagrid watched her. He wasn't sure if he wanted to do that, it would save them a lot of trouble if he just went to the Dursleys and presented the letter himself to Harry. But he supposed Mrs. Figg knew what she was talking about, maybe she was right and it was better to continue sending the letters until Harry grabbed a hold on one.
*~*~*~*
The next morning they were discussing the same thing over a cup of tea.
"Can't think what they think to do to stop him from getting that letter. Never thought that they would move him to the second bedroom." Mrs. Figg said. "Mr. Tibbles reported that Dursley moved him the minute he returned home from work."
"Hunph! About time they did. What were they thinkin' of puttin' 'im in the cupboard?" Hagrid asked with anger.
Mrs. Figg shrugged. "They're a strange lot."
"I'll send another tomorrow." Said Hagrid.
"Send more than one this time, send three. Let's see what happens." Mrs. Figg said.
*~*~*~*
During the next couple of days Mrs. Figg and Hagrid kept constant surveillance on 4 Privet Drive.
Mrs. Figg chuckled with laughter as Vernon Dursley boarded up the mail slot. She laughed merrily as she watched him board up every crack he could think of.
Hagrid watched amused at the antics of the Dursleys and both were eager to see what he would do next. They were both running out of ideas of how to sneak the letters into the house.
*~*~*~*
Sunday morning, after sending an owl overnight to Hogwarts to ask for more owls, Hagrid released a flock of owls into the sky and watched them circle the houses in Privet Drive before soaring down to one and released their packages.
He rubbed his hands in glee. There would be so many letters flying around that house, that Harry was bound to be able to grab at least one. He didn't count in the Dursleys' adamant hope to keep Harry from learning what was written on those letters.
They were rather surprised to see the Dursley car pull out with luggage and every member of the family inside. The car sped out as if the Devil was behind them.
Hagrid groaned, he never imagined they would run away.
"You're going to have to follow them." Mrs. Figg said as she dragged Hagrid's coat to him. "I suppose." Hagrid sighed.
*~*~*~*
Hagrid was glad that he had taken one of the school brooms. The only problem was that because of his weight the broom was slower than it usually was and couldn't fly very high. Hiding among the clouds was out of the question, he had to rely on back roads and alleys to hide from the muggles. Once they got out of the city it was easier to follow without need to hide very often.
The first night he followed them to a shabby hotel at the outskirts of a big city. He flew to a clearing some miles away and made a tent of his coat and waited for the lights to go off in the city and the hotel.
By the next morning's light Hagrid had sneaked in a mail bag full of letters addressed to
Mr. H. Potter
Room 17
Railview Hotel
Cokeworth
He waited patiently to see what the Dursleys would do and wasn't surprised when he saw the car pull from the garage and leave in the opposite direction it had come from last night.
He had packed his things into his pockets and climbed over the broom ready to follow once more.
He was rather confused to see what Vernon Dursley was doing. He glanced behind a tree when they stopped in the middle of a forest. He hid behind some sacks of grain when they stopped in the middle of a plowed field and he was flying below a suspended bridge when they stopped once more.
Hagrid started to worry that Dursley was losing his mind.
Finally they stopped near the coast and Dursley left the family locked in the car while he went off looking around the place.
Hagrid waited to see what they would do know and was happy to find that they would be staying. By the motions Vernon Dursley did and the place he was pointing to, Hagrid was sure that they would be staying in the decrepit old shack on the rock in the middle of the sea. He looked at the sky and saw the signs for a big storm. He decided to wait until it was dark enough and then he would fly over to the rock.
He saw Harry and the Dursleys pile into a small boat and watched them make their way to the rock.
Hagrid looked around and saw a small store a mile away. He might as well get some sausages and tea bags for his meal, he was sure that Dursley wouldn't have enough food either and Harry might enjoy a late meal as well.
He entered the small store, an old woman stood behind the counter and by the way she tried to peer behind her eyes, it looked like her sight was not as good as it once had been.
"Hello young man." She smiled.
"Afternoon, wanted some sausages and tea bags." Hagrid said.
"Of course, have some right here." Said the woman as she stumbled behind the counter to where a large cooler stood full of meats and dairy products. She grasped around the cooler until she finally felt a bag of sausages. She pulled it and turned back to the counter. "How many do you want?" She asked.
"Umm, give me ten." He said and watched as the lady took a small knife from a drawer and proceeded to cut the string that held the sausages together.
Hagrid looked around the small store. It was no bigger than his cottage, in fact it seemed a little smaller. The walls were full of merchandise, but it seemed like the items were not placed in any order. Thread was mixed with kitchen towels and shovels stood next to umbrellas.
"Here you go." The woman said and put the sausages into a small bag before returning the remaining sausages to the cooler.
"Thankee. Tea bags?" He asked.
"Of course." The woman smiled and pulled a box full of tea bags. "What flavor?"
"Any will do." Hagrid said. He could hear the wind picking up and the sound of the waves hitting the rocks on the coast with great force.
The woman took a small package from the box and passed it to Hagrid. Hagrid paid, looking closely at the muggle money he carried to make sure he paid correctly, not that she would've noticed if he had paid her with wizard money. But it wouldn't be fair if he did that.
He stepped out of the store and looked toward the shack standing over the rock. The wind was getting stronger and he could see the waves crashing violently against the rock. He shivered in the cold air and he could see the dark clouds covering the sky and was sure that at any time now the rain would begin to fall.
He looked around the coast. There didn't seem to be anybody around. The dark clouds had made the day dark and he thought it would probably be best if he prepared to fly over the violent sea to the rock.
His weight made the broom more stable in the fierce wind. But the coming storm made crossing the wild seashore a little difficult.
It took a few hours to cross the sparse piece of sea from the shore to the rock. Night had fallen and Hagrid was sure that midnight was near. The wind was now more vicious than ever and the rain was falling heavily over the land.
Hagrid stepped off the broom, but a gale of wind pulled it from his grasp and he watched as the broom was lost in he storm.
"Figures." He mumbled.
Hagrid looked at the shack standing at the top of the rock. There was no smoke coming from the chimney it seems that Dursley wasn't smart enough to get logs for a warm fire.
"Humph!" He snorted.
He sat at the base of the rock to rest. The rock sheltered him from the storm and he decided to wait a little. He pulled a small pack of biscuits he carried in one of his pockets and ate as he watched the large waves crashing against the rocks nearby.
He lost track of time. The storm was as violent as it had been a few hours ago. "Will yeh look at that?" He exclaimed as he peered at his watch. "Almost midnight."
He started to climb the rock. Lightning and thunder muffled his groans as he made his way to the shack. Finally, he stood in front of the door and knocked.
*~*~*~*
Remus was sitting morosely at a small table in a corner of the Leaky Cauldron. There were a few empty tankards in front of him. It was almost July 31st and he was saddened by the turn of events that had brought him to that place.
Remus had been traveling for quite some time, he felt better when he did so, it made him think of other things instead of remembering his friends and family. His parents had died a few years ago, two of his sisters had immigrated with their families to America during Voldemort's active time, and it didn't seem that they wanted to return anytime soon. One of his sisters was killed in an accident soon after their parents' death. And the remaining sister had immigrated to Japan to work with her husband in a new company. The money that his parents had left him, which had been substantial at the time, was running down. His travels and treatment were taking their toll and soon there would be no more money for him to continue on his search for a cure for what ails him. But it wasn't the thought of it that made Remus sad. It was the memory of the young boy who would soon be celebrating his eleventh birthday.
"He'll be going to Hogwarts this year." He whispered. "Lily would've loved that."
And she would've, he thought. She would have enjoyed taking him to Diagon Alley, to all the shops and James would've looked complacently on and perhaps taking him on his own to look at the brooms and animals and allow him to have whatever Harry had desired.
Remus chuckled and shook his head. He could really picture them so in his mind. If things hadn't happened as they had, he was sure that Harry would've been one of the most spoiled kids in wizardkind. Or perhaps not, he might have had brothers or sisters, and Lily and James were loving parents, but also authoritarian. They had ruled Hogwarts, and later their home according to the values and rules they had been thought to follow, they would've never allowed their son, and heir, to grow up any different than they had, their parents had taught them better than that.
Remus looked around, the room had started to blur but he could still see enough.
"Perhaps you should go to your room, Sir." Said the young girl that was cleaning the tables around him.
"Hmmm.Perhaps you're right." Remus groaned and stood.
The young girl watched the odd man stumble through the room and kept an apprehensive eye on him while he climbed the stairs. It wouldn't do, she thought, if he lost his balance and tumbled down the stairs.
But Remus reached the landing without any accidents and started down the corridor looking for the room he had rented the night before. He had just arrived in England after a few years away, he could've gone to the house his parents had left him, but it had been shut off for so long that he was sure it needed a lot of work to make it habitable once more. Or he could've gone to Griffindor Manor, he knew Mrs. Nichols and Roberts would've welcomed him with open arms, but the thought of watching the tenants and servants of the Manor celebrating Harry's Birthday was not something that would make him happy at the moment. So, he had remained in London and taken rooms at the Leaky Cauldron. Nobody knew he had returned, and most likely, they wouldn't notice for some time.
*~*~*~*
The bright, summer sunlight flooded the room. Remus groaned and turned in his bed trying to keep the bright light from his eyes. He succeeded, but it was too late, he was awake and he knew he could never return to sleep.
He stretched and yawned before leaving the bed. He looked out the window. There was nothing he could see from there that was different from any view in the building, but he could clearly hear the noise of shoppers passing by in both Diagon Alley and the muggle street in front of the pub.
The bathroom was small but adequate for Remus' needs. He showered, and readied himself for the rest of the day. He planned to leave the Leaky Cauldron that afternoon. He was returning home, but first he would go to Diagon Alley and buy various ingredients for what he needed to restore his home.
He was sitting in the table in the corner where he had sat the night before. Remus had returned from doing some early shopping and had returned to the Leaky Cauldron for his meal.
He preferred to sit in the corner, where he could be hidden by shadow and nobody could notice he was there. He liked to look around and watch the other shoppers.
The pub wasn't very busy on this day. Most of the people coming through the Leaky Cauldron didn't stay for long, instead they went through to Diagon Alley as soon as they had arrived to the pub that connected the magical world with the muggle one.
Remus watched as a pair of witches chattered in a corner, they were drinking tiny glasses of cherry as one smoke from a long pipe. A little man sat at the bar talking to Tom, the bartender, as he drank from a large mug in front of him. A pale young man was sitting in a table by the back door looking nervously around, he seemed to be waiting for something. There were a few others, some sitting by themselves others in groups chatting as they ate or drank.
The door suddenly opened and a large man entered the room. Remus looked around and smiled as he saw Hagrid. He lifted his hand ready to wave to him when he noticed a small boy stepping in behind Hagrid's large body. Remus' arm stilled.
"James?" Remus whispered.
"The usual, Hagrid?" Called the bartender as the others in the room smiled and waved to the newcomer. Only Remus stayed in his corner and made no motion to get the attention from others.
"Can't, Tom." Said Hagrid. "I'm on Hogwarts business." He said proudly as he clapped on the boy's shoulder.
"Good Lord!" The bartender exclaimed. "Is this - can this be - ?"
Remus watched as Tom left his bar and rushed to the boy. Remus wasn't paying attention to what he was saying, he only watch the boy look surprised and confused by the attention he was getting.
"Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back." Tom was saying.
"Harry." Whispered Remus.
The whole pub erupted as people scrambled from their seats and surrounded Harry. Only Remus stayed in his seat, not that anybody would've noticed as everybody was focused on Harry.
Remus watched sadly as Harry shook hands and spoke to all who welcomed him to the Leaky Cauldron. People seemed thrilled to meet him and to have shaken his hand. Remus understood why. He himself would've loved to be part of the upheaval. But memories kept intruding and by the time he could take control of them, Hagrid was leading Harry out to Diagon Alley.
*~*~*~*
A/N: There you go, I hope you enjoyed it. As you may have recognized, some things were taken directly from The Sorcerer's Stone. As I stated at the beginning, this is the last chapter for this part of the story, the next part is Harry's Sixth Year at Hogwarts, so that means a lot of new material, and some new experiences for Harry. My readers at HP.com have enjoyed what I have written so far, and I hope you will like it as well. I have the first chapter done, so as soon I have it ready, I'll post it for you. Thank you all for reading, and don't forget to review.